the car ride home
by Eliza-angel
Summary: Abby needs a ride home.....:“No,” she grinned as she linked her arm with mine “but he doesn't dare to interrupt me while I'm talking. You on the other hand are a daredevil to even consider interrupting me, but you are lucky...”


_Disclaimer: nothing belongs to me...blah blah blah_

_A huge thank to ncis_love for taking time to check through it :)_

_Rating: T  
_

_I hope you are going to enjoy it! R&R!_

_A/N: I should be celebrating somewhere, but I'm here to post this little one shot, ... all because it's been ages since I posted something the last time... so the least you lovely readers could do, would be a tiny review with your opinion..*gg*.... okay I'm fishing for reviews here, but it's really my birthday and you all would make me terribly happy with a little word about how you liked it ..._

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**Car ride home**

_-  
_

Someday I would do something about the ache in my heart when I watched her drive away in her car, after a long day of work.

I love those five minutes when I have the chance to walk her to her car, well that thing she calls her car.

Those five minutes give me some peace and even sometimes a smile which almost stays on my tired face till I arrive at the lonely place I call my home.

-

Actually I can't remember the last time it felt like a home, or maybe I can but those are thoughts I don't want to ponder about, not anymore.

Sometimes when my adorable Abs stays over it almost feels like a home, almost. As soon as the door closes behind her, the feeling is gone.

-

That is another thing I try not to think too much about; I once promised myself to enjoy every minute with my girl that she offers me, it could be the last. I ain't getting younger and we both know my job isn't the safest you could have.

I'm not sure how long I was staring at the report Tim had given me before he had made his way to the elevator, followed by Ziva and Tony.

What I knew for sure was that I hadn't read a line from it.

-

I still was waiting for Abby to appear out of the rear elevator.

She had asked me if I could give her a ride home after work, actually it had been the first thing she did after she thanked me for her morning Caf!Pow with the usual 'good morning-thank you' hug she offered me every single morning - Our ritual since her second week at work. She needn't to know that those morning minutes of affection were a give and take. She couldn't know that I needed those sweet moments between us as much as she needed her caffeine fixture.

I just hoped that she enjoyed the closeness between us just as much but judging by her genuine smile and the happy sparkles in her eyes I think I could count on that.

-

Lost in my thoughts I didn't see her walking to my desk till she was standing right beside it, staring at me , a huge grin displayed on her face.

"Hey Gibbs, sorry you had to wait so long I had to finish the report, somehow it took me a while longer than usual. I first had to discuss the process of the evidence with Bert, you know how he gets when he is ignored the whole day." She grinned at me and I couldn't help but grin back.

I knew she said it to make me smile, she had figured out earlier today that something was bothering me and since then she tried her best to make me feel better.

I very much appreciated the thought but in fact it didn't help, to be honest the unfeigned concern she had for me made it even worse.

-

I tried to bring my mask back in place, fully aware that she was too good at reading me to fool her anyway.

I got to my feet and collected my things out of the drawer at my right.

"I hope Bert could follow your babbling." I said a soft smirk still on my lips and stepped closer, ready to go.

"No," she grinned as she linked her arm with mine "but he doesn't dare to interrupt me while I'm talking. You on the other hand are a daredevil to even consider interrupting me, but you are lucky..."

We arrived at the front elevator as I spoke up again. "Why am I lucky?"

The doors closed and the small cabin began to move downwards to our destination.

"Gibbs, you have earned the right to stop me."

"How so?" I could feel her glance sideways towards me.

"I can't tell!" She answered, pleased I had decided to play along.

The doors opened again and I walked her to my car, our arms still linked.

"Why is that?"

"Because, you'll tell Bert how you did it and that wouldn't be good."

-

I let Abby slip onto the passenger seat and closed the door. A few moments later I sat on the driver seat, but before I even thought about starting the engine I looked at her.

"And if I promise I won't tell him, after all I would lose my privilege if I did."

She looked at me, with a pensive expression before she answered. "No."

"What can I do to change your mind?" I asked as I finally started the engine.

"Well, we could talk about that over some food, I'm starving."

I was more than willing to take her out to eat something - that meant I could spend some more time with her outside of work.

More than aware that when I would close the door of my house tonight my frame of mind would only worsen , especially today when the fact that she wasn't more than my best friend was killing me already, but what the hell. You live just once, right?

"Where to , my lady." She beamed at me as I glance to her when I had to stop the car at the security point of the navy yard.

"How about the grocery store, it's been ages since we cooked something together."

How could I say no to that, so I nodded.

"Gibbs you are the best."

* * *

We talked about all and nothing on the way to the grocery store, keeping the conversation light.

As we walked through the aisles we talked about what we wanted to cook, it didn't take long till we made a decision.

Well, it didn't take long till Abby decided, leaving her the choice of what she desired the most tonight.

I paid for the groceries she had picked and took the paper bag out of her arm. She just smiled at me. We have had many discussions about the fact that I wouldn't let her carry anything.

I was raised to be a gentleman, and courtesy is a big thing for me , especially when it came to Abby, not so much when it came to my ex-wives though, not anymore.

She grinned at me as she held open the door of the store. I just shook my head and let her have her way.

-

Not long after that I parked my car in my driveway.

"I guess your door is open?" I nodded.

"Good." Before I was able to get out of the car she was already on her way to the front door not giving me the chance to open the car door on her side.

I couldn't help but smile. Once I finally was inside she already had placed various cookware onto the counter and to my delight the coffee maker was already doing its job.

"You're an angel." I said and pointed at the coffee in the machine.

She beamed at me and answered. "I wouldn't call myself an angel, I'm more like a bat."

"Nah, you are an angel in disguise of a bat." A mischievous smile dancing around my lips as I put the ingredients onto the counter.

A sweet sounding chuckle became audible. "Don't tell anyone."

Finally we started to prepare the dinner, working side by side till we were done.

-

With a full plate in our hands we sat down at the kitchen table smiling at each other.

"Enjoy your meal Abs." Trying to suppress the saddening thought that once she was done eating she probably would want to go home.

"You too Gibbs." I stifled the sigh that threatened to leave my lips, when her smiling face responded to my previous words.

-

We ate in silence for a moment enjoying the food we created together, offering smiles to each other when we looked up the same moment from our plates. No words were needed, not between us anyway.

-

With a contented sigh our forks found their way to the top of the empty plates almost at the same time.

"That was good, we should cook more often together, somehow it tastes way better that way."

Abby said after leaning back against the back of the chair and patted her stomach.

I just smiled. "Count me in."

While Abby closed her eyes with a content smile visible on her lips, I got to my feet, took the plates in my hand and carried them to the sink.

With two steaming cups I went back to the table where Abby was still sitting with closed eyes.

I placed the cup to the table in front of her before I sat down opposite her again, my cup still in my hand.

The same content smile was playing around her lips she opened her eyes again and took the cup into her hand.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Abs."

We sipped our coffee and looked at each other. I tried to read her mind and she did the same, I guess she still tried to figure out what the cause of my distracted, sad mood was.

To distract her from more pondering I asked the question again, that led to the nice meal. "Since I bribed you with food, you owe me an answer."

-

Something changed in her demeanor, she tensed a little not much but enough for me to pick it up and her eyes got a slight pensive glint as she took sip after sip from her cup.

Not before her cup was empty she spoke up again.

"After very careful consideration I decided to answer your question, but you have to promise me something, actually two things."

I placed the cup on the table and looked at her waiting for the things I have to promise her.

She sat up straighter and pushed the chair a little back.

"Promise me that you'll never, ever tell anyone how you earned the right, cause even the rest of the team would try, we both know that and that is something we both don't want, do we?"

She took a deep breath before she continued.

"And... no matter what you are going to hear right now, you have to promise that our friendship won't change a bit."

That was a rather odd request but I would promise her anything, it was something I couldn't stop myself from doing, I could never and I never will be able to not promise her anything she wants to keep her happy.

-

Stopping myself from letting my mind drift back to those thoughts my mind were busy with the last couple of days I answered her. "I promise."

I watched her push the chair back a little more, it almost looked like she was about to jump and run.

She locked her eyes with mine and began to speak in a quiet voice.

"The reason you are allowed to stop my babbling, unlike everybody else is... the fact..." she sighed.

"Is the fact that I... that I'm in love with you and nobody else."

-

I was right about the jump and run part, before I could react in any way she was on her feet and out of the kitchen. I heard the door open as I finally had my feet under control and followed her.

I arrived at the front door when I saw her round my car.

"Abs."

She didn't stop, instead she ran out onto the sidewalk and turned left.

I followed, hoping that I would catch her before we were at her apartment.

-

I actually succeeded. About ten feet away from the end of my street.

I closed my arm around her waist and stopped her from running further.

I didn't ease the grip until she stopped trying to break free, after that I turned her around and kissed her softly onto her tempting lips.

-

I felt her collapse against my chest as I continued the gentle teasing she willingly responded to.

I'm not sure how many minutes went by as we continued to taste the new territory, not caring that we were standing in the middle of the sidewalk.

Eventually we both broke the kiss at the same time, neither saying a word as I let my arm rest around her waist while her head was resting on my shoulder.

A soft smile was visible on my face as I was guiding her back to my house.

Were we would talk.

To be honest with myself, probably make out a bit as well.

I kissed her temple as I felt the tension I carried around the last couple of weeks, ease.

-

Once we were at the front door the tension was gone.

As I closed the door behind us I pulled her back into my arms to a full embrace.

She willingly closed her arms around my torso but avoided eye-contact.

-

I didn't want to push her so I softly pecked her forehead, then I went further to the temple, followed by her cheek before I brought my lips to her ear.

"I love you too, Abby."

-

A sigh mixed with a sob became audible as she fastened her grip around my body. To my surprise she looked up to face me.

The unshed tears she managed to stop from falling were visible but nothing compared to the glittering of joy I saw as well in her beautiful eyes.

We both kept our eyes open all the way till our lips met again for another breath taking kiss.

The second one of hopefully many more to come.

--

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Fin


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